


CopyCode!

by PistachioShells (orphan_account)



Category: Undertale (Video Game)
Genre: AU erasure, Action, Amalgamations, No Relationship, Semi-thriller, Thriller, anomalies, deleting, implied mental ilness, outcode, possible mental illness
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-02
Updated: 2020-04-08
Packaged: 2021-03-01 03:20:18
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 9
Words: 4,624
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23448427
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/PistachioShells
Summary: Error finds another Underswap AU. Same old same old, he deletes it and gets it over with. However, what he doesn’t see is a remnant coming for him... and ready to rip him apart.Undertale by Toby FoxErrortale by LoverOfPiggiesUnderfresh by LoverOfPiggiesInktale by Comyet/MyebiUnderswap by P0pc0rnPr1nce
Kudos: 7





	1. My Hell.

~~My Hell.~~

* * *

Underswap Sans was thrown to the side, crashing into a tree. Blood trickled down his cheek, staining it red. He angrily glared at the destructor, Error. His glitchy, maniacal laughter thundered throughout the Underground, as did the voices of his loved ones. Screaming, Sans charged at him again, only to be whipped aside again. Error turned to him. “Awww, did you not wanna be _roped_ into all of this? Well, sorry for _stringing_ you along, then.” He giggled, turning back to his murder. Infuriated that he’d be joking about KILLING HIS FRIENDS AND FAMILY, he brought out blasters. Shooting at Error, he hoped to make a landing, which he did. However, when the smoke cleared, Sans could clearly see that he’d left no marks. Error didn’t even seem to notice his pathetic excuse for an attack.

Whimpering, Sans summoned some bones. Maybe they would work? He saw Papyrus, wrapped up in threads, and grew more incensed. He ran up, and once again got thrown to the side. “SANS!” Cried out Papyrus. Error had his horrible strings wrapped around his soul. “Sans,” Papyrus trembled weakly, “Run, get away from here! D-don’t die. Please,” He sobbed, before Error tugged, slicing his soul into disintegrating, jelly-like bits. Sans watched as Papyrus dusted, slowly disappearing. Sans fell to his knees, destruction surrounding the delicate flower. He wanted to close his petals and hide. He wanted to run away. And so, he did.

Disappearing into the forest, Sans gasped for air as tears fell, more and more. They plopped into the snow, the warmth melting it. They almost looked like bullet holes in the feathery-soft snow. Sans cried. “P-pap-Papyr-“ he couldn’t say it. Breaking down into sobs, Sans wrapped his arms around his face as his body sunk into the snow. He cried, more and more, until the grew softer, and more feeble, as the poor Sans drifted off into a fitful sleep.

Error looked around. It seemed like he’d gotten everybody, but felt like someone was missing. “Eh, I’m gonna double check,” he glitched, “Knowin’ me I left the whole Ruins unscathed.” He swept over the whole Underground, one last time, from the ruins to the castle. He checked every nook and cranny, finding he’d left out no-one. His mind kept nagging at him, though, TELLING him that he’d left someone out of his fun. Groaning, Error checked again. Still, he found nobody. He sighed. “‘S not like they’d be sleeping under the snow or somethin’,” he growled. (Where, unfortunately for Error, Sans was.) 

He opened a portal, leaving to destroy the AU as a whole. Error shook his head. “Guess I forgot I remembered, huh.” He rolled his eyes as he tore up the AU. Nobody was left behind to be a problem later.

Except there was.

Sans sleepily woke up, floating in space. _How can I breathe here?_ He thought lazily. _Am I dreaming?_ Patting his arm, he decided he wasn’t. Then, how was he in space?! Sans scrambled to be ‘upright’, finding that there was no ground. He breathed heavily. _Is this real? What if it isn’t?_ Beginning to hyperventilate, he tried to find something, anything, to tell him where he was. Looking around, he found a white light under him. “Oh!” He said out loud. “I’m probably dead.” _Just gotta go through and I can see Papyrus again._

Putting his hand through the white ‘light’, it seared into his bones. Sans felt like he was being melted alive.


	2. H E L L O.

~~H E L L O.~~

* * *

Sans arose from the pool. His bones were still, somehow, in tact. Exposed to code remnants, Underswap Sans was no longer the same. He could hear voices, in his head now. One of his eyesights were damaged beyond repair; the other was, luckily, alright. He managed to get himself out of the brine pool of code by riding on one of his blasters, which were now as corrupted as him. Looking down, Sans noticed small flickers of white squares that caught him every now and then. He looked a bit like Error now, somehow. He still burned a little, all over. What was that?

Sans looked up into the void again. Nothingness. It shook Sans to his soul. Something about this was very wrong. His Papyrus was gone. Everyone was gone. HIS WHOLE F*CKING WORLD WAS GONE. Sans laughed a little bit. Oh, this was his fault, wasn’t it? _Yes,_ said a voice next to him. _You left them. You ran away. Y0U ShOULD B3 DE4D L1KE THE RES7 OF THEM!_ Next to him, he saw a fuzzy image of Papyrus. He wore more black and red than he remembered. One of his eye lights seemed to be bleeding red. His head floated off his neck. “Y-y3ah. I l3t th1-this happ3n to y-y0u,” Sans quivered. 

He cried, but along with it came laughing. He couldn’t stop himself. Some kind of relief came from it, but he didn’t know what for. _God, I’m horrible for laughing at them,_ Sans thought. He still couldn’t stop himself. _Oh well. What does it matter? They’re D34D!!!_ Sans found himself in another laughing fit, for some accursed reason. Tears fell. Next to him, blood fell. He looked up, seeing Papyrus. At least he changed back into his classic orange. He looked down at Sans, crying blood. It rolled down his cheeks, not touching his clothes as he slouched. “Sans,” he said. He cried more. “Sans, how could you? You should’ve left.” Sans smiled. “I kN0w. 1 sh0ul|)’v3 l3ft 7h1s w0rld w1th y0u gu/s!” Papyrus shook his head, crying more. “Please, Sans...”

Papyrus disappeared.

The smell of Papyrus’ dust swirled from Sans’ clothes. He smiled. “Gu3ss we”r3 ST!CK1NG t0geth3r fr0m no# 0n!” He laughed manically, unable to stop himself. In the end, he just ended up wheezing. Sans threw his head up, looking into the void. “Wh4t a b3autiful n1ght P4p5!” Next to him, he felt a presence. He looked to his side, and saw a human. It was different from his human, though. They wore different stripes, and their hair covered their eyes. “Hello, Sans.” “H3ll0!” Sans merrily replied. “H0# d1d y0u g3t her3?” The human giggled. “I have my ways.” 

Sans suddenly started shaking. He didn’t know why. “Y0-you l-l-l0ok to0 mu<-much l1k-l!k3 the-th3m.” Sans started crying, but yet, couldn’t force himself to stop smiling. It felt like he was slowly losing control of his body. He didn’t know to what, or to who. He fell to his knees. “Y-y0u’r3 s-s0 muc-much str0ng3r th4n m-m3, o-0r th3m, o-or any0n3! P-ple4se, h3-he1p m3??” The human dropped the smile they’d been holding. “I can’t. I’m sorry.”

Sans hiccuped, and started sobbing. “W-Why?” He felt his voice returning. “P-please! I ju- I need someone. I don’t wanna be alone. I’ll do anything! I swear! ANYTHING! I don- I don’t wanna be alone again. N-not again!” They slowly began to disappear. “W-W41T! I’LL B3 GOOD!” No, his glitchy voice was coming back. He had to make a good impression. HE HAD TO. HE NEEDED THEM. “PLE4SE!”

They left him alone. Again. He began to hyperventilate. Howling, he scratched up his legs as he crushed them close to his chest, and started a sobbing he couldn’t stop. He shook, and shook. Tears flowed over his cheeks like burning rivers. “N0...” he repeated it over and over, as though it’d bring the human back. “N-n0...”


	3. Stay...

~~Stay...~~

* * *

Sans cried for what felt like hours, until someone put a hand on his shoulders. He immediately looked up, hoping for somebody to take care of him. He saw a strange skeleton, which looked a lot like him, but also didn’t. He wore bright colors, a gold tooth, and glasses with “YOLO” printed on them. Sans smiled, and tried to control his voice and glitches. “Hello! I’m S4ns! What’s y0ur name?” The other skeleton smiled. “Name’s Fresh! Nice ‘ta meet ya!”

Fresh looked at the Swap next to him. He came here looking for a backup body, just in case, but found this guy floating in the void. Interesting, to say the least. As soon as Swap saw him, he became cheerful and grabbed his sleeve. He looked like a kid, even more than some other Swaps... Fresh pondered on this, and how he seemed to have glitch appear every now and then, twitching when they did. _Reminds me of dat Error boi,_ Fresh thought. 

Out of nowhere, a tormented, angry Amalgamate charged toward them. Sans screamed, and hid in his scarf. “H-H3LP! FR3SH!!!” He decided that the little dude might be useful somehow. Who knows? Looking at the creature, Fresh slammed the thing out of existence. “Ya’ can look now. The big bad dog is gone now, bro.” Sans quickly looked up, and seeing nothing but Fresh, hugged him, nuzzling his face into his shoulder. “TH4NK YOU SO MUCH FRESH!” He let go. “Y0u really are aw3some!” Fresh saw his one eye light up in a bright blue star. Fresh had to admit, the praise was nice. But this Swap seemed... reallllyyy clingy. He didn’t care all that much, but it just added to how INTERESTING he was.

”Heya little guy. Why don’t we go outside?” Fresh asked. “Outside?” Sans looked confused. “But th1s IS outsid3!” Fresh shook his head. “Another world! A whole other new world. We can see more you’s and Papyrus’s and all of everyone, but more of them, and different.” Sans pondered on this. “So there’s other us’s?” Fresh laughed. “Nah, not of me lil’ buddy. Not really of you either, now that I think ‘bout it. We’re both outcodes. Well, you’re one NOW, heh!” Sans whimpered. “I-1s that a b4d th1ng?” Fresh looked at how sad he became at the single THOUGHT of rejection. Even more interesting... “No, lil’ guy. I’m an outcode too, and I’m not bad!” Sans nodded. “Y-y3ah!” Fresh smiled. This would be fun.

Fresh brought him to an empty Dusttale AU. He brought the small skeleton a nicecream, (Which he stole from a nearby cart.) “Wher3’s the oth3rs?” Asked the Swap. Fresh smiled. “I brought ‘ya to an empty AU. We’ll go to one with other monsters afta’ this.” Sans nodded eagerly. “Guess y0u’d kn0W bes7!” He thought for a a bit. “Well,” Fresh started, “Ya’ need a new name, so I can tell which one’s you!” “0h!” Sans quipped. “Wh4t did you hav3 in mind?” 

Fresh didn’t have to think before he came up with one. “Duck!” Sans looked really confused. “Ya’ follow me around all da’ time. Like a duck!” Sans buried his face and looked away. “!s that bad?” Fresh sighed. He had a hard time believing he was THIS insecure. “No, it’s not.” “And you 4ren’t just say1ng that?” Fresh nodded. “Nothin’ wrong with bein’ an adorable duck like you, Duck!” He looked into Fresh’s eyes, his one eye glittering. “I’m 4dorabl3?” Fresh laughed, patting Duck’s head. “Of course! You’re the best little bro.” Duck giggled, and held his sleeve again. “Th4nks Fr3sh!” He smiled at the strange outcode by his side. “No prob, bro.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I tried to write Sans (Or Duck now lol) with Dependent PD (Personality disorder). If something is more of a stereotype than an actual way someone with Dependent PD might act, or something just doesn’t sound right for this disorder, and doesn’t line up, feel free to tell me. I don’t have a superb understanding of this disorder, but I’m trying my best. (I’m working with what little I know and what I know about anxiety) Thank you for the support thus far!


	4. No Murderer?

~~No Murderer?~~

* * *

Duck sat by himself. Fresh had gone off to “find someBODY”. Despite Duck begging to go with him, crying, Fresh had said it was important and had to be done right away... and alone. Duck wasn’t happy about this, not in the slightest, but there was nothing he could really do about it. Sitting alone. Alone. Duck started curling up and crying to himself again.

Someone kicked him in the ribs. Duck jerked his head up, seeing a tall, devilish-looking black pile of snot looking down at him. He shot backwards. The color black was never a good sign! NEVER! Error was black, the void was black, his mind was black! He had to run away from it! Nightmare laughed, wrapping a tentacle around Duck. He squirmed, taking in heaving breaths, as he began to panic. He began to hyperventilate, unable to even scream.

Nightmare cracked an odd smile. “You poor thing. You look half dead!~ Well, I’m here to finish off your disgusting self.” Duck fought back, trying to break free. _Fresh would be DEVASTATED if he found him dead, or missing!_ Duck growled madly, trying to explode from the tentacle that kept winding tighter and tighter around him, not seeming to stop any time soon. Suddenly, Duck let out a glitching roar.

Duck’s empty eye had changed to take the form of one of Error’s eye lights.

Not knowing quite what he was doing, Duck wrapped strings around the tentacle that held him, tightening them until the tentacle was sliced off. The eye now changed to one of Nightmare’s. White tentacles appeared next to him, as he slashed at his opponent. Nightmare fought, confused and desperate. _What other tricks does this crumpled pile of bones know?!_ Nightmare’s voice screamed into his head.

Strings suddenly enveloped the black mass. Nightmare squirmed, this time, feeling the white emptiness burn into his being. It was a hot wire, cutting through, scorching everything it touched. He genuinely questioned why he wasn’t on fire yet. He looked at Duck, taking in heaving breaths. His soul was out; white with black cracks, that seemed to release small amounts of black smoke. Duck was like a ghost; he should be dead, but remained in the world of the living.

Fresh came back, somehow slightly taller. “Heya bro!” Nightmare was suddenly released, as Duck sat down in the same way Fresh had left him. Taking this chance, Nightmare immediately teleported away. That outcode... He was scarier than he’d expected. 

Fresh smiled cheerfully. “Who was that?” Duck smiled merrily at the strong, cool skeleton in front of him. “Jus7 an un3xpect3d gue5t!”


	5. Dragons

~~Dragons~~

* * *

Nightmare bled, fleeing from the odd Swap. He didn’t even think he COULD bleed, but the white slipping from the cuts all over his body seemed to disagree with him. What the hell WAS he?! Well, he was an outcode; but, copying him? Copying ERROR?! He didn’t think it was possible. The hell... anything’s possible, honestly. Still... he didn’t like the idea of an outcode that could copy seemingly any attack he made. Nightmare thought. He would be a useful ally, but how could he scare him into working for him when he could do... this? 

Nightmare sighed. His rational brain told him that the Swap was stronger, since he could make cuts on Nightmare that bled; but he wasn’t known for his rationality. In fact, he was known for quite for the opposite! 

Just as he was to dramatically laugh, a colorful a*shole appeared behind him, casually drinking a... actually, what WAS that?

”’Sup ‘Mare?” Quipped Fresh. Nightmare growled. “Your SKULL if you don’t GET THE F*CK OUT!” Fresh laughed. “Mad ‘coz a lil’ duck beat you in a battle?” “IT WAS A STRATEGIC RETREAT!!” Screeched Nightmare. Fresh giggled again. “Surrreee buddy. Anywho, I know that said ‘duck’.” “Yeah, I know,” said Nightmare, bitterly. “He played nice as soon as you got there.” Fresh smiled. “Well, do you want me ta’ get ‘I’m on your side, old broski?” Nightmare’s nonexistent ear pricked up.

Nightmare stroked one of his many cuts. “How do you plan on executing that?” Fresh smiled. “Seems ‘ya haven’t lost all the ‘royalty’ in ‘ya.” Nightmare hissed. “Just get on with your point!” He laughed. “Alright. So, Duck seems ‘ta really like me. Hates bein’ alone, even now he’s probably wailin’ his eyes out.” Nightmare nodded. “So you plan on using this to make him obey me? He won’t even look at me without cutting me up.” Fresh nodded. “When I’M not there, of course.” Nightmare recalled how the Swap played nice again. “So if you’re there, you think he’ll listen to me?” Fresh nodded. “Weelllll, more like he’ll listen to me tellin’ him ‘ta listen to you!” Fresh pointed at Nightmare in his usual, overly cheerful way. 

Nodding, Nightmare considered it. “So... what do you want in return, exactly?” Fresh giggled. “Just a few souls to eat and mess around with~ You’ll have fun watching, too.” Nightmare smiled. “That seems too one-sided. You aren’t pulling any strings, are you?” Fresh smiled back with equal intensity. “Not for my old buddy! I’d never.” Nightmare nodded slowly. “Give me two days to think this over. We can talk again after that. You won’t bother any of my ‘minions’ while I do?” Fresh put his thumbs up. “No prob for you, ‘Mare!” Fresh teleported away to a crying Swap.

Smiling to himself, Nightmare thought about all the FUN he was going to have. Like he said to Fresh, this DID seem way too far in Nightmare’s favor; but Fresh owed him for saving one of his ‘prime’ bodies from a genocide run. Plus, Fresh liked to keep his slate clean; he never held onto debts longer than he had to. He was a free beast, that only his skeletal shell could somewhat contain. That creepy, neon creature.

He whistled as he opened a portal. Might as well get some work done while he thought about it.


	6. Knowledge

~~Knowledge~~

* * *

Fresh smiled. He knew Nightmare would agree. He just WOULD. Stepping through the portal, he saw his little Duck. He beamed. “YoU’re b4ck! I m!ssed y0u, Fre5h!” He laughed. “I know ‘ya did. Poor thing. Sorry for leavin’ you like that, kid.” Duck nodded. “It’5 okAy! I kn0w you’r3 busy.” He noticed the drink in Fresh’s hand. It had little black balls in the bottom. Duck whimpered. “Wha7’s th4t?” He asked.

”This is called ‘Boba tea’. Humans on the surface seem to either really like it or really hate it. Like conversation hearts and candy corn.” Fresh squinted. Why those foods specifically? And yet, chocolate, a sweet like the rest, was almost universally loved. Duck giggled. He looked down at the little, glitchy Swap. “Wh4t are you thiNk1ng abou7 Fr3sh?” He smiled again. Duck was so sweet, always. At least to him, it seemed. “Just why humans are so weird.” Duck pouted. “N0t all hum4ns ar3 weiRd!” Fresh nodded. “Maybe not. I’m not used ‘ta it, though.” 

To be fair, Fresh wasn’t lying. He was confused by human customs no matter where he went. Why almost all humans liked music, he’d never know. Or why they hate humans different than them. Really! Peace-loving humans hated war-loving humans, artistic humans hated business humans, it’s like there always has to be SOME kind of tension in the world!

Duck took a sip of the boba tea. He didn’t seem to mind until he got a tapioca pearl in his mouth. Fresh watched as his face changed from horror, to confusion, to curiosity, to delight. “I7’s squ1shy!!” Said Duck. Fresh giggled. “Yep, very squishy. Kinda like Nightmare, huh?” Fresh watched to see how Duck would react. As he thought, at first he was unnerved. Then, noticing that Fresh used the name so loosely, Duck started to relax. It was a success. Then, Fresh realized something.

”Hey, Duck, how’d you know Nightmare’s name?” Duck blushed and turned his head. “N0 re4son!” Fresh held back a little bubble of laughter. Duck really DID act like a kid. A cute kid, to be fair. “Are you lying to me?” Asked Fresh. Duck quickly shook his head. “I-1’d n3veR! I Pr0mIse!” Fresh looked directly at Duck. “Then how’d ‘ya know his name?” Duck sat for a bit, before telling him. “I... h3ard h1s he4d.” Fresh tilted his skull. This was definitely worth looking into.

Fresh looked at Duck with kindness, or at least, what looked like it. “You can read his mind? You can tell me, I won’t tell anybody else.” Duck shifted. “Pr0mis3?” Fresh twitched. He didn’t like making promises he thought he’d break. “...yeah. I promise lil’ guy.” Duck beamed up at Fresh. It seemed like he’d gotten a new part of Duck’s trust.

It almost made him feel bad.


	7. The Portable Darkness

~~The Portable Darkness~~

* * *

Duck wandered alongside Fresh, who seemed to be grinning manically. He was happy his caretaker/older brother was happy! He didn’t know why, though. He hadn’t done anything special. Either way, both were smiling now.

Fresh wanted to laugh. To think that Nightmare thought he didn’t know him well..? Pff, that was new. He knew way more than that snot would ever know. He was just a chaotic blob with a will to kill. There was absolutely nothing special about him. He was royalty, he’d give him that, but his thoughts were clearer than glass. He laughed manically when he was confident, for example. How naive. He was almost cute! To think he was so powerful, just because he absorbed outside powers... well, that would make Fresh a little hypocritical, huh?

Duck tugged on Fresh’s sleeve. “Wh3re are w3 g0ing?” He smiled in return. “Remember Nightmare? We’re friends, so I’m goin’ ’ta see him. I think you’d like him betta’ once you see him when he isn’t scared.” Duck looked up at Fresh with teary eyes. “Th3 po0r b4by! I d1dn’t kn0w h3 was sc4red!” Fresh nodded. “I told him that ya’ didn’t mean to scare him. So, just be nice to ‘Mare this time around, okay Duck?” He nodded. “Y0u go7 it!!” Fresh laughed. He was so cute, and sweet. He smiled at the little outcode next to him. 

Fresh pulled out a pair of sunglasses like his own; instead of ‘yolo’, however, ‘lmao’ was written on them. Duck gasped, and gently took them from Fresh’s hands. “I5 th1s for m3?!” He nodded to the Swap. “All yours, lil’ buddy!” He wrapped his arm around the small sweetheart. Duck happily slapped them on his face. “By th3 w4y, Fr3sh,” began Duck, “Wh4t doe5 ‘lmao’ m3an?” Fresh wrung his hands together. “Uhhh... It means ‘laughing my... a*s... off...” 

Duck looked at Fresh before smiling. “D0n’t w0rry Fre5h! 1t do3sn’t bo7her me mu<h.” His eyes sparkled like ramune soda; refreshing and sweet. Fresh liked this Swap; he was somehow both easy and difficult to read. He was interesting, unique, and had this sort of clinginess that made him feel... _wanted_ for once. He smiled, showing off a gold tooth. He was keeping this lil’ bug.

They arrived in a dark room, where Nightmare was eating a sandwich. “MMF-!” Nightmare mumbled as he saw Fresh enter. He gulped down the bite before yelling. “YOU SAID YOU WERE GOING TO ARRIVE AT 5! IT’S F*CKING 1:30!!!” Fresh laughed. “I said *by* 5, not AT 5. Bud, ya’ gotta learn to listen better.” Nightmare began growling. “D1d w3 sc4re y0u?” Duck asked nervously. Nightmare’s frown quickly dissipated.

He smirked. He was so _scared._ There was no way he WOULDN’T be a good source of negativity! He could feel the self-hatred from the other side of the room... Fresh did pretty well. As to not scare him off, Nightmare spoke gently. “Not this time. You would’ve owed me back there if it wasn’t for your friend there.” He hated putting Fresh in a higher position than himself, but he knew he controlled Duck. So, unfortunately, he had no choice.

Pulling himself over, he stood by Duck. He cowered in the presence of the humanoid darkness. Fear stung throughout his whole body, but Nightmare was Fresh’s friend; and he couldn’t disappoint Fresh. He tried to stand as normally as possible; and, consequently, fell over. Directly onto his face. Nightmare smiled, and whispered to Fresh. “This is _perfect.”_ Fresh smiled. “No less for my old ‘pal’.”


	8. Stars.

~~Stars.~~

* * *

> _What does make a true, valiant hero?_
> 
> _Is it one who protects the weak or shy,_
> 
> _Or one who rises when will is zero?_
> 
> _Yet not one to which power might be tied._
> 
> _What does make a guardian of others?_
> 
> _Is it the bravery of all their souls?_
> 
> _One who’s willing to let go of brothers?_
> 
> _Yet not one who’s willing to fill the holes._
> 
> _It’s not that miracles come from themselves,_
> 
> _Or rising from their long-lost, distant pain._
> 
> _Is their pretty face what keeps them on shelves?_
> 
> _Who are we, to choose heroes despite taint?_
> 
> _Angel faces and beautiful white robes,_
> 
> _Is their beauty worth more than dreams and hopes?_

Duck woke up in a black room. He hated it. He hated it to the core. But it was for Fresh, and he couldn’t do much about it. He wouldn’t scare Fresh off. He pushed the door open, and saw Nightmare. He must’ve caught him by surprise because when he found him...

He was crying.


	9. Unforeseen Outcomes (Finale)

~~Unforeseen Outcomes~~ (Finale)

* * *

Nightmare felt a warm hug. He didn’t care who it was from; he hugged back. He hurt so much. Did nobody know or care how he felt? Well, they shouldn’t... but it felt so nice to feel loved again. He didn’t open his eyes to see Duck. 

Duck saw parts of Nightmare’s black body recede and dissolve. He didn’t seem to mind, so neither did Duck. The poor thing was so sad, so hurt... What happened to him Duck could find out later. Right now, he had to comfort his friend. Nightmare smelled of blood, tears, and regret. He felt like slimy goop in the sink. He looked like... well, a Nightmare.

And Duck wouldn’t let go.

He was a friend now. He wasn’t going to turn his back on him. He wouldn’t turn his back on anybody because... He doesn’t want to have others turn their back on _him_. He missed having someone to comfort, and someone to comfort him. He missed being in a family. He missed having a brother, and nobody could replace Papyrus. He missed him _so d*mn much._ But, for now, he had to use that sad energy to comfort the trembling kitten in his arms.

Only Duck noticed when a strange, dust-scented skeleton appeared from a portal. He saw Nightmare, in Duck’s arms. And Duck could hear the trembling and sorrow in Nightmare’s head. So many ‘ _I wish I never’_ s. He learned so much about Nightmare by just holding him. Duck kept his cool as the murderer crept up on the two.

He laughed. “Nightmare’s gone soft, huh? Never thought I’d see that coming.” Duck knew he had to defend Nightmare. Otherwise, this monster would hurt him... badly. Duck mustered up the courage to make himself look as weak as possible. For Nightmare’s sake, who had stiffened and stayed still since the assassin had spoken.

Taking in a deep breath, Duck let out the greatest bloodcurdling scream he could muster. “S7OP!!1!” He screamed. He was embarrassed, yes, but it was for Nightmare’s sake. He was scared again. “TH3 D4RKn3SS!! I-1T HUR7S To0 MU<H!!” and, at that, Duck whimpered and fell to his side. (Partially as part the act and partially from exhaustion.) Nightmare, taking the cue, discreetly wiped his tears and stood up. “Not as strong as I thought,” he mumbled, trying his best to hide the trembling in his voice. It hurt to hear him say that, but it was for his own good.

The two talked, Nightmare commanding and yelling at the (now terrified) killer. Duck forced himself to twitch and groan every now and then. It helped keep the newcomer scared enough to no longer threaten or mock Nightmare; a huge win and happy ending for Duck.

Once the monster left, Nightmare sat by Duck’s side, and nudged him. “He’s gone now. You don’t have to keep lying on the floor.” Duck got up, carefully. Nightmare immediately hugged him. “Thank you,” he whispered, barely loud enough to be heard. He stood up, and helped Duck up as well. “Why don’t we get some breakfast?” Duck nodded happily. “5ure!” 

Fresh watched from afar, smirking devilishly. He didn’t see _this_ coming.

Duck was definitely going to stay his plaything... He was just so _INTERESTING._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I ended up changing the ending but that’s fineeeee! Thank you guys so so much for reading!!!


End file.
